𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨

☇ 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨

"YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES." KATNISS TURNED AROUND, THE DOOR TO THE ROOM OPENING. Primrose's tears were the first noise, their mother watching Katniss hug Primrose tightly. She seemed to search the room for her son, finding him nowhere. "Prim. It's okay. I don't have much time." Katniss quickly detached the hug, crouching ahead of her little sister. "Listen. You're gonna be okay. Don't take any extra food from them." Katniss began listing the strategy fast, Primrose sniffling. "It's not worth putting your name in more times. Okay? Listen, Prim. Gale will bring you game. You can sell cheese from your goat." She cupped the girl's jaw, ensuring the information was taken in. "Just try to win. Maybe you can." Primrose's eyes stung, Katniss nodding. "Of course. And maybe I can. I am smart, you know?" Katniss smiled lightly. "And, Cedar won, maybe I can too." Primrose nodded as fast as she could, clinging onto anything that would pull her away from the nightmare today held. She didn't know how her brother won, the true reason anyway.

Who would tell a six-year-old how her brother walked around without food nor sleep, slashing people with some having no correlation with his 'motive'? Nobody. "And you can hunt, like him." Primrose spoke, Katniss nodding. "Exactly." The two girls were in silence, Katniss glancing down to the mockingjay pin in Primrose's hands. "To protect you." She whispered, Katniss taking the pin back and kissing her sister's forehead. "Thank you." She whispered back, hugging the girl tightly. Feeling eyes on her, Katniss looked towards her mother, Primrose looking back as her sister faced their mother. "You can't tune out again." The girl's voice became monotone, her mother shaking her head. "I won't-" "You can't. Not like when Dad died. Me and Cedar can't be there anymore. You're all she has." Katniss interrupted, her mother's eyes watering. "No matter what you feel, you have to be there for her. Do you understand?" Katniss asked, demanding an answer as her mother nodded, a tear falling down her cheek. "Don't cry. Don't." Katniss hesitantly hugged her mother.

"It's time." The Peacekeeper spoke, Primrose quickly gripping her sister. "It's okay, Prim." Katniss began, feeling her sister being ripped from her grasp. "No! No!" Primrose began to scream again, Katniss shaking her head. "I promise!-" The door slammed shut, Katniss staring at it. They never locked the door. She could leave- Gale opened said door, the two facing one another. Katniss hugged first, Gale soon after. "I'm fine." She assured quickly, Gale humming. "Yeah, I know." He dismissed her words, Katniss clearing her throat. "I am." She spoke, Gale facing her. "Has Cedar come to see you?" He asked, watching Katniss' head shake slowly. "No." She spoke lowly, Gale humming. "Maybe he's waiting for the train." Gale reasoned, Katniss not believing him yet her nod convinced otherwise. The two were in silence, Gale speaking up first. "You're stronger than them. You are. Get to a bow." Gale nodded, Katniss huffing. "They may not have-" "They will if you show them how good you are. They want a good show. That's all they want." Katniss nodded quickly.

"If they don't have a bow, you make one, okay? You know how to hunt." Gale repeated Primrose's words, Katniss shaking her head this time. "Animals." She corrected, Gale gulping. "It's no different, Katniss." He assured quietly, Katniss blinking back tears. "There's 24 of us, Gale. Only one comes out." She spoke, her voice wavering as Gale smiled lightly, holding her jaw. "Yeah. And it's gonna be you-" "Okay." Katniss' face dropped at the Peacekeeper who came to collect Gale, tears flowing quickly. "Take care of them, Gale. Whatever you do, don't let them starve." She hurriedly let out, the two hugging briefly. "Let's go." The Peacekeeper reinforced, the two separating. "I'll see you soon, okay-" The door slammed shut.

☇

"200 MILES AN HOUR, AND YOU CAN BARELY FEEL A THING." EFFIE SPOKE, KATNISS SAT SILENTLY AS SHE STARED OUT THE WINDOW OF THE TRAIN. She had never moved so fast in her life. Peeta sat next to her, the two visibly uncomfortable as Effie babbled on about the train. Cedar sat at the end of the small table, looking anywhere but at his sister. "I think it's one of the wonderful things about this opportunity, that even though you're here, and even though it's just for a little while," Katniss glanced to her brother. He had never laid eyes on her since they broke eye contact at the reaping. It's like she wasn't even there. "you get to enjoy all this." Effie grinned, Katniss looking back to the table itself. The four were in an awkward silence, Effie humming. "I'm going to find Haymitch." Effie let out, making eye contact with Cedar. "He's probably in the bar car. Could you keep the tributes entertained?" She asked, Katniss watching her brother hum mindlessly. "Brilliant." She stood up, holding his shoulders tightly and shaking them before hurrying away, as if wanting to escape the aura.